Rotorway EXEC 90 N89678

Summary

On 4 January 2000 at about 21:00 local time, a Rotorway EXEC 90 registered N89678 was involved in an accident near Chandler, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 January 2000 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Chandler, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Memorial

Coordinates

33.2667, -111.8000

Aircraft

Rotorway EXEC 90

Registration

N89678

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chandler → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00LA071

Nobody was injured.

the fatigue fracture and separation of the secondary drive shaft, which resulted from the manufacturer's inadequate quality control process.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight was a familiarization for the private pilot, who was transitioning into this model of helicopter. An approach was being made to runway 03 when the instructor heard a loud bang from the engine compartment behind his back at an altitude of 100 feet. He stated that it felt like all engine power was lost. When the instructor saw the rotor rpm decreasing, he took control and initiated an autorotation to a soft sandy area. During the touchdown, the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom, and the tail rotor blades contacted the ground. The operator reported that a subsequent inspection determined that the secondary drive shaft fractured. Laboratory examination concluded that the shaft failed from fatigue, originating from galling sites introduced during the manufacturing process. The operator reported that a temperature strip on the bearing was noted to be darkened before the flight, but they were unsure if this information was determined independantly by either the CFI or the student. All other shafts in the operator's fleet were inspected and no additional suspect shafts were found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.